Harmonix owners net $300m bonus

It has emerged that Viacom-owned MTV, the parent company of Rock Band developer Harmonix, has paid studio founders over $300 in bonuses as a reward for exceeding performance targets.

A further payment of around the same amount is expected in 2009, too.

“We may not have anticipated the payment would be that high, but it's based on what they have achieved,'' Bloomberg quotes Viacom spokeswoman Kelly McAndrew as saying. “If they are making more money for us and we have to give a little back, that's OK.'”

Rock Band has to date sold seven million copies across 13 countries, and has in turn generated 26 million music downloads.